


Presents

by franscats



Category: The Sentinel
Genre: Gen, The Sentinel Secret Santa 2015
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-21
Updated: 2016-02-21
Packaged: 2018-05-22 07:44:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6070993
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/franscats/pseuds/franscats
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This was written for the 2015 Sentinel Secret Santa.<br/>The three prompts were: Shopping Hell, Wrapping Hell and Christmas Eve.<br/>In other words, Jim shops for Blair's gift.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Presents

Part One

Jim gritted his teeth as he looked around the mall. His sense of smell was dialed down but he still felt like he was being bombarded by fake pine and perfume as eager shoppers pushed against him. He needed to get in and out of this mall quickly or he was going to have a stroke.

Taking a steadying breath, Jim headed into a men’s store breathing a sigh when the store smelled faintly of men’s cologne. There was Christmas music playing but it was very soft, orchestral music, and Jim relaxed a bit as he moved around glancing at the various racks.

Jim wanted to get Blair a coat for Christmas. Thinking it over, he decided a new suit jacket wouldn’t hurt either. When Blair left for his last date with Samantha from forensics (and Jim really hoped it would be his last date with Samantha - the woman was dangerous) his suit jacket had looked worn. 

Jim knew Blair had limited funds. He didn’t get much as a TA and any extra money he could make tutoring was lost because he spent his time helping Jim. So, Jim decided this Christmas he would outfit Blair.

It took a while, but Jim found just the right coat. There weren’t a lot of coats left in Blair’s size, at least not in a color or style Jim considered worthy of his guide, but the one he was holding was muted gray and blue, and felt warm to his touch. Pleased with the choice, he draped it over his arm as two women walked near him.

“I have to get a coat for Kevin,” the first woman informed the other, her eyes looking over the coat on Jim’s arm, before turning and glancing over the rack. “I want the one that man is holding,” she whispered to her friend, Jim easily hearing her. “It’s the right size and color. If you distract him, he’ll put it down and I’ll scoop it up.”

“How I am supposed to distract him?” the second woman whispered.

“I don’t know, rub your boobs against him, or something.”

Annoyed that this woman thought she had a right to violate his space, Jim turned and glared at her. “Madame,” Jim said, loudly enough that everyone in the store turned to look at them, “if your accomplice starts rubbing against me, I will arrest her for sexual assault and you as her pimp. So, unless you want to spend some time in lockup, I suggest you reconsider your plans.”

Both women turned to Jim, their faces turning bright red, their mouths opening and closing in shock, but no words were coming out. Saying nothing, they dropped what they were holding and sped out of the store, Jim watching them hurry away. Shaking his head and deciding shopping was hell, he turned to find a suit jacket for Blair. Maybe, he could get some pants to go with the jacket and some underwear and tee shirts.

 

Part Two

Knowing Blair was still at school, Jim carried his gifts into the loft. There was a coat, a sports jacket, a dinner jacket, three pairs of pants, a package of underwear, a package of tee shirts and some argyle socks. 

He knew he’d gone a bit overboard, but Blair needed this stuff and, truthfully, he deserved it. But now Jim had to figure out what to do with it all. He couldn’t just wrap it and put it by the fireplace mantel. Blair had decorated the mantel two days earlier with colorful ornaments and small bits of ivy and declared this would be where Santa came into the loft and where they would put their gifts. 

If Blair saw all the stuff, he would feel obligated to match the gifts and Jim didn’t want Blair squandering what little money he managed to save.

No, that wouldn’t work and how the hell was he going to wrap all this stuff, anyway? Looking over the packages, he let his mind work on the problem. To hell with wrapping, he’d get those neat gift bags with the drawstring ties. But then what?

As he was thinking the problem over, he heard some workmen outside and glanced out. Someone in the building was getting a new medium sized bookcase. He could see the box and…and the box would hold all the presents.

Jim would be able to toss all the gift bags in, cover the box with some flimsy plastic tablecloth stuff that barely covered the words bookcase and let Blair snoop around the box until he figured he was getting a bookcase for his room. Thinking over the idea Jim decided he’d need to weigh the box down with something and then smiled. He’d put his workout weights in.

Liking the idea, Jim headed down the stairs to get the box and then off to get some gift bags.

Two hours later, Blair walked into the loft and stopped in his tracks. In front of the mantel was a large red box. Blair knew it had to be for him, Jim would never bother wrapping a gift to himself. Putting down his stuff, he glanced around and hearing Jim in the shower, walked over to the box, pushing his hand against the flimsy red covering, trying to read what was written beneath. When he finally deciphered the words bookcase, he gave a sigh of relief. 

A bookcase would be a wonderful gift but a practical addition to the loft. 

Blair had been worried. He didn’t have a lot of money and, of course, he’d gotten Jim a bunch of small things over time but he had been worried that his gifts couldn’t measure up to the things Jim could buy. But the gift being a bookcase, that would be fine. Hurrying into his room, he pulled out four wrapped packages and carried them to the mantel, placing them beside the red box. He just hoped Jim would like the things he got.

 

Part Three

“You know in many traditions, people open their gifts on Christmas Eve,” Blair stated as Jim sipped some eggnog. Blair knew he was getting that red box – bookcase, but he was very excited about the idea of Jim opening his presents.

“Is that right,” Jim answered, adding a bit more rum to both glasses before taking a seat where he could watch the fire.

The television was on in the background, playing It’s a Wonderful Life, and Blair, on his third glass of rum filled eggnog, nodded. They’d had a great Christmas Eve dinner. Blair had said something about traditional fish dishes and after looking over the suggested shopping list and calculating the work involved in making the meal, Jim had opted to take Blair out to dinner. They’d have enough to do with cooking tomorrow, what with Jim’s father, Naomi, Steven, and Simon all coming to dinner.

“Yep,” Blair nodded, sagely. “And I can open that red box.”

“You don’t want to wait till Christmas morning,” Jim surmised and Blair nodded.

Jim gave a sigh, mostly for effect and then nodded. “Okay.”

Blair jumped up and snatched up the four presents, handing them to Jim. “Man, I hope you like your gifts.”

Jim smiled and indicated the red box. Blair, having snooped around so that he knew what was in the box, indicated his gifts. “Open these first and then I’ll open the box.”

Jim smiled and then opened his gifts. The first was a blue cashmere scarf and Jim smiled as he ran his fingers over the material. The second was a Santana CD that Jim wanted, the third a gift certificate to his mechanic’s shop, and the last a small jade jaguar statue. “Blair, these are wonderful, thank you.” He gave his friend a quick hug and then handed him a scissor. “Why don’t you open your gift?”

Blair smiled and stood, pulling off the flimsy red wrapping paper. “A bookcase, I can really use this Jim.”

“Well, then, it’s too bad it’s not one.”

“Huh?” Blair’s rum soaked brain answered.

“Open it,” Jim ordered and Blair did, seeing the wrapped bags and Jim’s weights in the bottom.

“Man, that is so unfair. You tricked me with the weights.”

“How could I trick you,” Jim squinted suspiciously, “unless you were snooping around the box.”

Blair didn’t answer but carefully tipped the box, pulling out seven bags of various shapes and sizes and exclaiming how he needed each item as he opened. Finally, finishing he looked at the gifts spread out on the floor and then at his friend. “You didn’t have to do this, Jim. This is too much.”

“Yeah, I did, Chief. You deserve this and so much more. I don’t say it often but you give me something much more important than some gifts. You give me your time and I wanted you to know I appreciate it.”

Blair smiled. “Thank you, Jim, I think those words were the best gift of all.”


End file.
